What Next For PSG's Unai Emery?

Having led Sevilla to three consecutive Europa league titles big things were expected of the Spaniard when he moved to PSG in 2016 as the Parisien side were looking for a coach that will finally help them conquer Europe.

With the announcement by PSG last month that Emery's contract won't be renewed; which brings up the question on how will he be remembered in Paris and what are his next steps. This is not the first time  Emery will be experiencing disappointment having seen the sack for poor results in Spartak Moscow after lasting only six months before moving to Sevilla and rebuilding his career. With over €350m spent last summer with the signings of Neymar and Mbappe, PSG underachieved during his time at the club losing 5-2 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the round of 16 (this season) as well as becoming the first side to be eliminated in the knockout stage after having a 4-0 first leg win (losing 6-1 to Barcelona in the second leg).

This season, the Spainard has won three trophies already (French Ligue 1, French Cup and French Cup final) which has banished the memory of last seasons league loss to Monaco. Emery might not have done the magic in Paris but he will be leaving with his head held high considering his record in his final season despite coming short in Europe. It will be a great injustice to quickly forget how he led Almeria to the Spanish top flight as well as finishing a record  eight in the league with the Andalusian side with a below average squad. As if that was not enough he moved to Valencia twice qualifying for the Champions League despite the sale of key men David Silva and David Villa. In Sevilla, Emery led them again to a record three consecutive Europa leagues . While people might feel he underachieved in Paris the record of previous managers Carlo Ancelotti and Laurent Blanc (two managers who also failed in Europe with PSG) should be taken into account. Emery might have failed in some aspects but he still remains a top manager who is highly rated.

How Will Zlatan Ibrahimovic Be Remembered In Manchester United?

Having seen superstars Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao fail to shine in Old Trafford despite their high profile signings , Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a different class after his free transfer move in 2016 despite aged 35 at the time .

At 6ft 3in , the Swede was a global star on and off the pitch winning league titles in Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France although his signing was considered a risk by some as United had youngsters like Marcus Rashford and Jese Lingard waiting for the opportunity to make their mark . Like a fairytale , the forward scored on his league debut against Bournemouth as well as scoring twice in the EEL cup final win against Southampton . In the end , Ibrahimovic finished the season with an impressive 28 goals in 46 apprerances as well as making the PFA Team of year and Europa League Team of year .

With United struggling post Ferguson era, Ibrahimovic was signed by Jose Mourinho to bring back not just the goals but the experience, swagger, and winning mentality which had gone missing since the retirement of Fergie; an assignment he not only fulfilled impressively but also brought the global  spotlight on the club once more like it was in the past . In the peak of his form for United last season , it was so devastating that he had a knee cruciate ligament injury in April in the Europa league game against Anderlecht which abruptly ended his season .

This season despite extending his contract in the summer, the Seede has struggled to see game time playing only seven games scoring only a goal with Romelu Lukaku not only taking his jersey number 9 but also his place in the team and goals ; making the Swede's exit inevitable. It is only befitting that he will be remembered as an icon in Old Trafford despite having only a single impressive season having won the Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League during  his time at the club as he helped bring back the winning mentality which has made United one of the most successful sides in Europe.

Is Alfie Mawson Swansea's Best Player At Present ?

Swansea City might be struggling at the moment as the Welsh side struggling to avoid relegation despite a recently beating Arsenal and Liverpool, yet one player who has distinguished himself from the rest is no one else but central defender Alfie Mawson who moved to South Wales from Barnsley for just £5.5m In the summer of 2016.

Having scored seven goals despite playing at the back in League Two as Barnsley got promoted to the Championship in 2016, Mawson moved to Swansea as a direct replacement for captain Ashley Williams who had moved to Everton the same summer. The England U21 defender did not take time to settle as he was awarded the Man Of the Match in his debut league game against Watford, as if that wasn't enough, the defender went on to score four league goals in 27 league games as Swansea narrowly escaped relegation under Paul Clement despite having three managers in the season. Having started where he left from last season, Swansea have recorded seven clean sheets (ninth best in the league) with goalscoring their greatest problem struggling to score only 18 goals in 25 league games which mean (worst record in the league). While their defensive record 36 goals conceded is better than the likes of Watford, West Ham, Everton, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Stoke.

He might not be the most exceptional or flawless yet the youngster (24 years) plays the game with his heart as he gives his all when called upon. Despite playing 24 league games this season, the centre-back has already scored twice yet having only one yellow card to his name (impressive). Good in the air (62% aerial duel success this season) , able to play with both feet, fearless in tackling (16 tackles this season), humble and ability to read the game; Alfie Mawson's days might be numbered in South Wales if he continues with his form. Although his form has been impressive, the youngster will hope the offensive players who have been struggling this season will click as the likes of Winfred Bony, Tammy Abraham and Andre Ayew have been far from convincing if Swansea are to stay up when the season ends .

What Does The Signing Of Alexis Sanchez Mean For Juan Mata In Manchester United?

While Manchester United fans were over the moon with regards the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal this winter, one United player in particular might not be really impressed as Sanchez's signing might mean the end of his Manchester United career . Despite being successive Chelsea Players Player of the Year winner (2012 and 2013), Jose Mourinho infamously traded him to United for £35m in 2014 , six months after his second return to  Stamford Bridge.

At that time , the Portuguese made it known he didn't see Mata as his no.10 with Oscar the preferred choice . Known for favouring physical traits over creativity and skill, the Special One has never been a fan of the Spaniard's attacking  flair. As if that wasn't enough, in his first official match in charge (2016 Community Shield with Leicester City) having joined United in the summer of 2016, Mourinho substituted Mata in the dying minutes of the game despite only sending him on in the second half . Like a cat with nine lives, Mata went on to make 42 appearances across all competitions (only five other players made more appearances) that season playing 25 EPL games scoring six goals, assisting three and creating four big chances.

Usually deployed in the middle   of attack slightly behind the striker (Zlatan Ibrahimovic before his injury then Marcus Rashford) with Anthony Martial playing on the left  and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the right in a 4-2-3-1 formation; this season a lot has changed as the little Spaniard has been moved to the right side of attack (Mkhitaryan struggled to even make the match day squad). With the signing of Sanchez who scores and assists more, Mata appears to be the attacking player to be sacrificed to accommodate the Chilean. While Mourinho is yet to change his formation; Martial (23 league games , nine goals, four assists and seven big chances created) has retained his attacking left position , Jessy Lingard in hot form (21 league games, seven goals, four assists and three big chances created) and Rashford (24 league games , four goals , five assists and seven big chances created) waiting to roar. Statistically, Mata has had an inferior record as regards to goals, assists and big chances created this season (20 games, three goals, three assists and four big chances created)  compared to the trio. With his contract set to run down this summer and no move by United to extend it, the former Valencia attacker who will be 30 in a few months time might be in his last season at the club. With Sanchez, Mourinho knows what he is likely to get from the Chilean considering his ability to chase the ball and press high on the opponents, make hard tackles and counter at speed as well as aerial duels all of which are part of Mata's weakness. A rare attacking player who performs better when he is at the heart of the team's attacking play, Mata is best when creating chances for teammates as well as producing moments of magic with little or no defensive responsibility which doesn't suit the Portuguese.

With four months to go before season end, it may be premature to speculate what might happen in the summer yet one thing is for sure, and that is that Alexis Sanchez will be given chances to impress from the start which means a regular starter is likely to drop to the bench soon .

Is £18m Transfer Fee For Roma's Emerson A Fair Deal For Chelsea?

Six goals, one assist, two big chances created in 24 league games is an awesome stat for a wing back (Marcos Alonso) yet this is might not be the case at Chelsea as they  have moved to sign Roma's Emerson who appears surplus to requirements in the Italian Capital. 

In an already inflated market , it might look shocking that Roma received £18m for the 23-year- old left back , yet on the other side it might also look a hefty fee for a player who has played just two games this season since returning to fitness in December. Quick, creative and able to shoot , Emerson is an ideal Antonio Conte's player who can also play as a wing or full back when needed . Last season, the Brazilian born midfielder who naturalised in Italy was the second most creative and attacking full back in Europe's top five league (Juventus' Alex Sandro ahead of him). In total , Emerson averaged 1.8 key passes, 1.5 completed crosses, 2 successful dribbles every 90 minutes last season . He also won more tackles and was dribbled fewer times when compared with Chelsea's Marcos Alonso. Such was his form last season that he was linked with virtually every top European club. Despite being so attack minded, the defender is a hard tackler as well as one who is difficult to beat on one on one situations when defending . At 23, the defender still has a lot of years in him and will surely give Alonso a fight for the starting spot and having recovered from injury this might be the perfect opportunity for Chelsea to sign him for a bargain; just the same way Antonio Rudiger was snapped up in the summer having recovered from the same anterior cruciate ligament damage before his move to Stamford Bridge. 

One big flaw of the defender is his poor interception records as well as being passive in aerial duels  which are one of  Alonso's greatest strengths . Also to be noted is his lack of experience having played only 47 times for Roma since his signing for €2m as Lucas Digne's back up in 2014. Unable to upsurge Araraf Lazaar in Palermo during his loan deal in 2014, the defender ended up making only nine league appearances before joining Roma. An early bloomer having made his debut aged 17 for Santos, Emerson has only had one good season which was last season (36 appearances across all competitions) before his injury on the last day of the season . 

Though he is not an upgrade on Alex Sandro (currently having a bad season in Juventus) who Chelsea have courted for a long time , his signing fee of £18m is surely modest considering his age and promise .  In Chelsea he will be working under a manager who understands Italian football as well as brings the best out of average/young players pushing them to excel in consistent basis with the example of Alonso, Victor Moses, Andres Christensen. In Emerson, Chelsea not only have a perfect player for the future but also the present .

Manchester City Finally Got Their Man In Athletic Bilbao's French Aymeric Laporte.

Manchester City might be leading the EPL by 12 points as well as in the race in all four competitions which makes it difficult to decipher why they are linked with Atletico Bilbao's central defender Aymeric Laporte .

A close look at City's defense in their last 12 league games explains it all. City have conceded 11 goals in the last 12 League games which is in contrast with their first 12 league games (seven). The Frenchman has been Pep Guardiola's first choice center-back ever since his appointment in the summer of 2016, only for the centre-back to extend his contract with the Spanish side which made his signing more difficult. Moving on from the failed bid to sign him, City signed John Stones from Everton for £48m to plug the gap in their defence. Having been a near disaster last season, Stones has improved this season partnering Nicolas Otamendi as City became more defensively organised and difficult to beat.

With only four recognised centre-backs , Guardiola appears ready to meet Laporte's exit clause (£56m) , so how did it get to that ? Out of the four recognised City central defenders, only Otamendi can be relied on as Vincent Kompany has struggled with fitness for three seasons now , managing to play only nine league games . Stones on his own appears to be rusty and  lacking confidence as he was at fault for both goals against Bristol City in the Carabao Cup and Liverpool in the league having suffered an injury in November needing six weeks recovery time which made Guardiola recall Eloaquim Mangala (made 10 league appearances). To add to that, left full backs Fabian Delph and Mendy are both out for extended periods which makes the signing of a left footed defender a near necessity. With more than 14 league games to go as well as the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup final, City need to strengthen their backline in order to challenge in all competitions rather than putting round pegs in square holes.

At 23, Laporte has an extensive experience playing at the top level having played over 161 league games for Athletic Bilbao since his debut in 2012. Such as been his consistency that he has been linked with Barcelona and Manchester United almost every transfer window. Ball playing, strong in the air as well as ability to read the game , the Frenchman is the best at his age in the position as he has grown from strength to strength each passing day. With the transfer market getting more and more inflated and Laporte getting better and better as well as becoming more appealing to many clubs, seizing the opportunity to sign him now will be the right thing for City to do rather than wait and then lose him like they lost both Dani Alves and Alexis Sanchez.  £56m might be much but with the capture of a player of such quality and one that will play on for years, it might end up a bargain.

Is Edin Dzeko The Solution To Chelsea's Inconsistent Attack?

As Chelsea continue to drag their feet towards the signing of 31-year-old Bosnian and Roma striker Edin Dzeko, it is becoming more glaring to even the most loyal fan that the West London club need reinforcements this winter.

With 10 league goals , three assists in 21 Seria A games this season , Edin Dzeko might be the immediate answer to Chelsea's offensive  woes, yet it remains to be seen if his signing is rational long term . Turning 32 in March and costing over £25m as well as demanding a massive €100,000 weekly wages in a side who are reluctant to offer more than a year contract to players over 30 is a problem Chelsea will have to rethink before sealing his transfer . Why shouldn't such funds be used to sign younger less proven players rather than spent on a player who is likely to decline sooner or later. Tiemoue Bakayoko, Zapacosta, Antonio Rudiger,  Alvaro Morata (all costing over €35m) are young players  Chelsea signed this summer yet none has hit the heights expected (inconsistent)  despite delivering in selected games. Based on such factor, what is the guarantee that another younger player will immediately turn out better in Chelsea going by the lessons of last summer?

The duo of Morata and Mitchy Batshuayi have scored a paltry two goals in the league since December to say the least ; while Dzeko guarantees at least a goal every two games since his time in Wolfsburg. Under Conte, the Bosnian will be the focal point of attack considering the style the Italian employed in Italy with Graziano Pelle which is something Batshuayi has failed to add to his game.  Conte it appears wants to  switch his pattern of play like he did last season with a 3-4-3 formation. The Italian has realised he needs a physical and technical player who is able to play alone upfront at the same time allowing the other attackers to finish off attacks. Hold-up- play , shooting accuracy, aerial prowess, keeping possession, winning mentality/playing under  pressure and finishing are some of the qualities Conte wants.  As target man, Dzeko will play with his back to goal, holding up the ball and creating chances for the likes of Eden Hazard and Pedro at the same time being a nightmare for defenders on the air. Last season, Dzeko attempted more shots than any other player in Seria A with only Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Harry Kane the only players attempting more shots than he did in Europe's top Five leagues.

In 89 Seria A games, the striker has scored 52 goals while in Roma; at the same time scoring 39 goals across all competitions last season  having joined Roma for €11m. With a less spectacular goal this season, Chelsea must be sure the Bosnian is not in decline as he ages considering that was the same case when Fernando Torres and Andry Shevchenko joined the London club. It might also be better for Chelsea to keep the cash and wait until the end of the season to sign a striker as the rush might not be worth it considering Dzeko is ineligible to play in the Champions League. With his game not based on pace and physicality, Dzeko might even play until his mid 30s as he his more of a predator (able to be at the right place at the right time) and also keeping the ball for long . While in Wolfsburg the Bosnian scored over 66 goals in 111 Bundesliga games  as well as 50 goals in 130 EPL games for City which makes this season return of 10 in 21 games probably a sign he might be on the decline.

Tammy Abraham (four goals in 20 EPL games)  has shown in Swansea that he needs lots of time before he can turn out consistently for Chelsea which makes the signing of a striker a priority for Chelsea. Also to be considered is the fact Antonio Conte might not be around much longer judging from his difficult relationship with the Chelsea board which makes sense that the Bosnian shouldn't be signed as the new manager might not fancy him. Whatever decision Chelsea takes, the signing or non-signing of Edin Dzeko will either be a gamble or masterstroke this winter.